When I was at Square 2 in Novena, I noticed a small enclave of houses right across from it – so close that I could see them from the entrance of the mall! Although the Novena-Thomson area is a bit of a mess right now because of the (what feels like) non-stop construction, it is actually very central and convenient, being close to a MRT, shopping centres and even Hospitals. Hence, I thought it’d be interesting to do a tour of the area!
This is how close the houses are to the Malls/ Hotel – I can capture both in the same photograph without using any fancy equipment. (As you can see, they’re basically just separated by a road.)For those less familiar with the area, here’s a map of what we’re touring today: the area directly above Novena MRT (where you can see the Church of Saint Alphonsus marked.)
Now since I started the tour by extolling how convenient the location is, let’s just do a few quick shots of the amenities within the area.
As you probably already know, this part of Novena is a medical hub and there are dozens of medical clinics, as well as Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Mount Elizabeth Hospital in the area. That’s Novena Medical Centre above and (if memory serves) Mount Elizabeth on my right.Turned to look into the driveway – it seems less chaotic here as compared to the one in Orchard.Across the road is Novena Medical Centre and Square 2 Mall, one of the malls I mentioned earlier. (Other nearby malls are Velocity, Zhong Shan and United Square.)
At Square 2, you can find not only a small NTUC but also a Don Don Donki and a small Korean mart (as well as many Korean restaurants – Novena seems to be something of a small Koreatown, after Tanjong Pagar and Upper Bukit Timah.)
As we can see from the signs, there’s also a 7-11, DAISO and Koufu, although I don’t think the local options in Square 2 are very good, to be honest. I decide to cross over to Square 2 for a wander – as mentioned in the introduction, here I am at the entrance of the mall, and able to see the houses!Inside the Mall, you can also find Novena MRT, so although traffic is really quite terrible around the area, you’re pretty well-connected.The NTUC I mentioned, is next to a EAT outlet (which sells laksa, Bak Chor Mee and the like.) The outlet on the left is hotpot.
OK, we’ve seen the most important shops now, so let’s head back out to explore the neighbourhood instead.
Crossed over to the other side of the road, where the houses are. (There is a traffic light/zebra crossing, so it’s an easy walk over – you don’t have to jaywalk.)This is the entrance to the houses.To my right, there’s also this path which leads to the other houses in the estate. (This row of houses is a little separate from the other houses in the estate, although there is pedestrian access as you can see.)Here’s the Master Plan to help you visualise it better – it’s the orange row right above Irrawaddy Road. (We’re at Novena Terrace.) As shown, it’s separated from the other landed houses by Novena Church. (Something to take note of- you may want to drop by on Sundays to see if the sounds of worship spill over if you’re noise-sensitive.)Novena Terrace is a pretty narrow road, with a yellow line marking one side, with some dustbins out to reserve parking space outside the houses.Most of the houses here are terrace units.There’s a small hedge to block out the traffic and the view of the mall. We’re also a little elevated above road level here.A few houses have been rebuilt, and you can see that there’s room to expand upwards.Most are still in vintage condition though. Also, note how some houses have quite long driveways which can park more cars.And then we reach the only vehicular entrance/ exit into the estate. Can you see all the roadworks outside? That’s why I say the area is a bit of a mess – the jam outside can be VERY bad. (However, with the MRT so close to you, you could easily get away without driving till the roadworks finish.)Near the entrance is also Kiddiwinkie Schoolhouse.I’m here on a weekday when most people are at work, so the traffic doesn’t look too bad. However, it’s a bit difficult to cross the road because of all the roadworks. (I want to get to the shophouses opposite to see what’s “on offer.”)On the same side of the road, there’s a bus stop.This is right in front of this rather handsome church. Quite majestic looking, being up on a slope.Finally, I reached the intersection where I could safely cross. After you cross, you reach the middle, which looks like this. (So we’re in between the 2 roads now.)We reach this row of eateries (in shophouses.)I decided to stop for lunch at one, and the prawn noodles were pretty good (lots of wok hei) so problem solved of where to find local food. (Although the price is about double what you would pay at the hawker centre.)Now that we’ve finished lunch, I’ve walked back to the other side of the road and am trying to find the entrance to the other landed houses. Not really a nice place to walk!We reach MORE shophouses – see what I mean about this area being super convenient in terms of amenities?Walked up a small slope. As you can see, there are also some very old apartments here.This is what the apartment complex looks like. I must say it looks better than I had expected!Another photo for you to appreciate how the landed houses are perched above the apartments.The first thing we see – construction!As you can observe, although the roads are currently clear (everyone is probably at work), parking is an issue and people are using bins to reserve spaces.Another re-developed property in the estate.There are also semi-Ds here (with more parking space.)Interesting design on the left.Another interesting, but older house.For those with a smaller budget, you can find a terrace house here too (and opportunities to rebuild.)Here’s how much higher you can go if you re-build.The road is a dead-end for cars, but there is pedestrian access to the other side. Let’s take a look.This is what we see: Novena Rise Road, with Novena Rise Park and another row of shophouses opposite as well as the Internal Security Department on the right. (There’s a second small park within the estate, which has some playground equipment, but nothing too exciting.)Those are the shophouses down the road: you’ll find a hairdresser, Bee Kia Seafood restaurant, nail shop etc.This is the view when I turn back and look in the direction from which I came.Some of the semi-Ds are VERY large.As mentioned, the roads are pretty clear – either everyone has decided not to drive for now given the mess of the roads outside, or you should probably visit after working hours to see what the parking situation is like when everyone’s home!The area consists of two main roads (Jalan Novena Timor and Jalan Novena Barat) from which several other roads (cul-de-sacs) branch out. i.e. there’s only one way to drive in and out of this estate, so peak hours may see some congestion.I believe this old apartment complex is Novena Hill. It has 42 units and we listed it as a potential en-bloc candidate a while back. More terraces, quite patriotic ones too!Some houses appear to have retained original features such as breeze block walls.Some public works are being carried out within the estate.As shown, the estate does not lie on flat land, so some houses are a bit more elevated than others.This is how the houses look, in relation to the high-rise malls.It can feel a bit overwhelming for some of the closer units.Passed a very interesting house (the side windows let in more light without losing too much internal space.)This is what it looks like from the front.I like this one! (If you’ve been following the series, you might have realised that I like houses with lots of greenery.)Couldn’t quite figure out if this was a house or not, as there were no signs, but if it is, it’s rather unique.You can park on both sides of the road here.
We’ve seen most of the estate now, so let’s take the shortcut back to Novena Square that I showed you previously (the path to the right of the Novena Terrace houses.)
Start of the path: Mount Elizabeth to the left and the houses to my right.Some of the houses we pass along the way.Some properties have back gates that open onto the path.I was thinking this was quite an out-of-the-way path that not many people would see, but the residents still take the trouble to decorate the side of the property that looks onto the path!More artwork I pass along the way.As we head closer to the main road, the properties become so elevated, you need to climb a short ladder to get into them!This brings us to the start of the path.
Before I go, I thought it’d be interesting to see what the houses look like from the sky, so I took the lift up Mount Elizabeth to take a photo.
Birds Eye view of the houses.
So how did you find the estate? I must say, living in the Novena estate is super convenient, even more so than Gentle Villas (across the road) that I had toured a while ago. (It’s also freehold to Gentle Villa’s leasehold, with prices reflecting that: at the time of writing a terrace house here started from $7 million!) If I were a Doctor working in the area, I’d love to live within walking distance from work! Of course, the traffic situation is currently FAR from ideal, but there are only 3-5 more years before the North South Corridor will be completed, and hopefully, the road congestion will ease then!
I must say, I was a little surprised by the current asking prices, given the less-than-ideal traffic conditions, but I guess the sellers are taking a longer-term view (regarding the desirability of the area, and also probably don’t need the money urgently.) What do you think? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
TJ’s interest in property was sparked after returning from the UK- where balconies are not counted in one’s square footage!- and finding that the Singapore property had totally changed in the 7 years she was away. When not reading and watching articles & videos about property, she is busy cooking and baking for friends, family & her blog Greedygirlgourmet
The prices are out of reach but I saw many freehold condos in the Newton / Novena area that are affordable and poised for price appreciation with Pullman, Kopar and Atelier TOPing soon. Can you review any resale worth buying in the area that will benefit?
TJ
11 min read
The prices are out of reach but I saw many freehold condos in the Newton / Novena area that are affordable and poised for price appreciation with Pullman, Kopar and Atelier TOPing soon. Can you review any resale worth buying in the area that will benefit?